Gamble The Bard
by Saidencloud
Summary: This is the story of a Bard in the forgotten realms campaign setting. His adventures that took place before he was an NPC in one of my campaigns on the D&D table. The world of Faerun is constantly changing, a new darkness has risen, operating in the shadows. In a small corner of the world, peril will soon strike, and a new leader, a champion, will be needed.


_**GAMBLE ~ THE BARD**_

Chapter 1

The Bard

Shaeva was laying sprawled out on a high branch when she heard the music, her day dream cut short as the magical tune called out to her. She forced herself up and listened for the direction of the sound, when she was sure she had the direction she leaped from her branch to another nearby. The Druid continued along several high up tree branches until she reached the clearing the enchanted music was coming from. Peaking her head out from the thick leaves at the end of her current branch, she saw him, the little Gnome that sat against an oak tree just to the north of her.

It was the fifth time in as many days the Gnome had come from the city to play his little lute, and each time Shaeva found herself on this branch laying down, sometimes closing her eyes and listening to the music that he had played. Though the music was not really for her, it felt as though it was; the animals of the forest seemed to feel the same way, for several animals appeared around the clearing poking their heads out as well.

She wasn't sure what brought the Gnome out here, but she was glad for the performance each time. His music was beautiful, and it carried some kind of enchantment of emotion. Sometimes his songs almost made her laugh, bouncy and ironic tunes, and then each time before he left he played one last tune, slow and careful, that almost brought tears to her eyes, like some unknown tragedy. She wasn't the only one who felt the effects of his performance. It seemed the forest itself was feeling whatever emotion or tune the lute let flow. She could feel it even now, the tree branch she now crouched on was stretching out toward the music, like it would as the sun fell to the west reaching for its last few moments of the sun's rays. It was a song of gathering, friendly and happy. The Gnome bore his feelings letting any creature within distance of hearing the music know he was there, he greeted them and played for them. A few of the creatures in the forest flocked toward the clearing, the un-shy of the beasts like Shaeva poked their heads to view this master of the music.

Shaeva didn't know much about the Gnome except that he loved to perform for the forest. He could feel the love of the wood and green, and the creatures big and small. It matched her feelings so well. The current tune came to a close and there ended the music but the feeling remained strong as it did each time his music came to an end. The Gnome lowered the lute for a moment and pulled up his water skin, he gulped long drinks down before setting the cap back atop and then again going for his instrument.

The next tune he played told a story, images shown smoothly in her mind, it was about a young boy who looked for adventure, and when his time came to go out into the world he was lost and alone. The long road had many frightening experiences, but they had taught him to survive on his own. When finally his road reached the end he saw himself before a large city where he could learn and grow, perfecting his abilities and the path that he has chosen. But the tale ended that he still felt very alone.

When the song ended Shaeva had to hold herself back, she wanted to go hug the poor gnome and tell him everything was alright, and that he didn't have to feel alone any longer. Shaeva was shy, she rarely revealed herself to anyone who visited the forest. When she did, it was usually in another form, a wolf or a bear. To scare them away if they were being mischievous in the forest. She didn't like humans entering her forest at all, they always came for wood or to hunt, though they had plenty of their servitude live stalk around in farms surrounding the city. She all but hated them.

Shaeva and her small clan protected the forest, there were a total of 5 druids in this forest. Each taking a large section of its vast blanket of wood. There was also a city of Elves, who respected whole heartedly the druid clan that oversaw their home. Three of the Druids were also Elves, one was Human. and then there was Shaeva, who wasn't sure herself what race she belonged to. Shaeva had the ears of an Elf, but the height of a dwarf, though not at all bulky. She thought herself a Halfling but she didn't have the long noses that seemed to be a trait of both Gnomes and Halflings. Shaeva was an orphan who was raised to the age of fifteen by the Druid kind who took her in. Though she looked the age of seventeen now, Shaeva was well into her third decade. Her ageing slowed by the magic that is Druid.

Gamble finished his tune and lowered his lute, he heard some odd noise from his right, behind the tree line. It sounded like feet walking through dry grass, he heard twigs snap and a small laugh, he thought it maybe a child. The hairs on the back of his neck began to rise, the feeling shuddered through his shoulders and spine. He hated that feeling, and knew something was amiss. The steps drew closer to the clearing, he saw shadows appearing from the tree line. There were four of them, small creatures, a little shorter than him actually. When the sunlight finally enveloped them, he knew why those hairs rose, he was staring at goblins. Gamble froze, he thought to go for his crossbow that was laying at the base of the tree beside him.

Three of the four goblins held their ears, as if trying to keep out the noise, one licked his drooling lips as he spotted Gamble against the tree, its dagger, or sharpened piece of metal rather, raised to an attacking position. Once he pointed out Gamble to the others, they forgot about the covering their ears and were eager for action. The one in the lead scanned the surrounding area for any allies that the Gnome might have, and other then the forest creatures who now had started running away at the sight of them. It seemed the Gnome was alone. He pointed his dagger at Gamble again and shrieked loud like some kind of battle cry, and the other three charged in.

Gamble hopped to his feet, grabbed at his crossbow and let the loot drop, his shoulder strap catching it as it fell to his waist. In a normal circumstance he would just begin playing again, hoping that the goblins the music could halt their hostility, but his magic from the lute was almost spent on playing for the forest, he could not possibly charm them all.

With his crossbow up, he held the sight aimed for who he believed was the goblin leader, he heard many stories about taking out a goblin leader would make the remaining goblins falter, possibly run from the battle. The crossbow twanged as the bolt sped towards its intended target, catching the goblin in his left eye, he fell dead to the dry grass. Gamble expected the others to notice there leader now dead on the ground but all they saw was the bolt flying past them, if anything it hyped them up more thinking that he had missed them and they would have an easy kill. Gamble had maybe enough time for another shot, he pulled back on the bow string until he heard the click reached for another bolt beside the tree, but couldn't finish loading by the time the first goblin was in striking distance.

The Goblin swung his dagger like object going for the side of Gamble's neck, but Gamble lifted his crossbow to block the attack, he caught the goblins hand in between the bowstring and twisted, the swiftness of the move jerked the dagger from the goblin and it fell to his feet. There was another jerk, and Gamble could tell by the screaming goblin that he had just broken the goblins wrist, he pulled at the goblin, keeping the crossbow in a tight clench on the goblins wrist he swung the goblin around and pulled him in. The goblin facing his slower allies as they still were still charging in, he knew help was coming, but not fast enough, as Gamble then produced a dagger of his own from his sleeve and dragged it across the helpless goblins throat.

Gamble shoved the dying goblin into one of his oncoming companions knocking him back and the other he met with his crossbow, still not loaded but it didn't matter, he rammed it into the goblins chest, and though it stopped the goblin in his tracks. The goblin just laughed at him when he noticed there was no bolt on the latch. Gamble laughed also, moving his finger to the side trigger on the crossbows handle, the laughing goblin stopped suddenly not understanding why the Gnome was laughing, a stupid look of confusion on his face, then suddenly without warning a blade snapped out from under the crossbow, skewering him through the chest. The goblin's confused look lowered to his chest and the strange crossbow, and then there was another snap, and the blade pulled from his body and went back into place under the crossbow, the goblin fell dead. The last goblin was upon him, his dagger was larger than the others and it actually looked like a dagger.

Shaeva observed from the tree wanting to help, she was just about to jump down when she noticed another three goblins below her under the tree she lay on. They didn't seem to notice her though, she readied herself to drop on them, thinking best to scare them into a retreat. She called on her druid power, and fur started covering her body. A moment later the goblins were rushing out toward the Gnome when a shadow passed over head, causing all three to come to a halt. A great wolf now stood between them and their allies, the largest they had ever seen. Shaeva growled at them, one immediately turned and ran back into the forest, the other two just too shaken to move. The wolf snarled, saliva dripping from its exposed teeth. the goblins heard the hard swift foot falls of their retreating companion and finally decided to make the same choice, they turned and ran from the giant wolf. She only chased them as far as the tree line, then backed off and turned to the Gnome facing the last of the four goblins.

Gamble had seen the great wolf from the corner of his eye, heard the growl and the shriek as the goblins fled. The last goblin still trying to strike the gnome seemed not to notice, he was too enticed by the battle, and of the fine meal to come from the gnome. Most goblins were cowardly, and had this one realized all his allies were gone would have probably fled himself, but he longed for Gnome flesh, a tendered meat he hadn't tasted in several moons. He dove in at the gnome knocking the crossbow away as it came in to strike with his left hand, and stabbing at Gamble with his right. Gamble dropped the crossbow and jumped back as he pulled up his lute, just as the Goblin came in for another strike the Gnome let his hand drape across the lutes cords. The Goblin expected something from the inside of the instrument but instead his gaze darted back up to the Gambles as suddenly he opened his mouth to sing, but it was not singing that came out of the Bard's mouth. It had been in fact a sonic boom, he heard the beginning of what might have been a scream from the Gnomes mouth but then heard nothing at all, he could see what may have been a wind tunnel protruding from the Bards mouth. The next thing the goblin realized was the sky above him. It took the Goblin a few seconds to gather his surroundings, he felt warm wetness coming from both his ears, he moved to wipe it away and when his hand came in front of him his fingers were covered in blood. His blood he realized, he cocked his head at an angle to see where his allies were, wondering when the leader was coming to his rescue but all he found was what looked like a bolt sticking from his leaders head. The Goblin looked down in time to see the Gnome placing the front end of the crossbow at the top of his head. There he saw the blade underneath the crossbow and he saw the snap of the blade as it jutted forward, and then only darkness.

When the battle was done, Gamble looked around for the Wolf that had surely saved him, but saw nothing but an empty clearing. Once he had given up his scan he decided to look over his crossbow. His most prized possession, he had won it in game of cards. He was exceeding good at gambling, people said he had great luck. He won several hundred gold coins in his life just by gambling, it had paid for most of his trip to the city and the entry costs to his schooling. but he didn't play for the money, which his name might suggest. It was the strategy, the puzzles, the expressions on another's face as he lay down his cards, it was the battle of wits that he loved.

Gamble had chosen this name after being called "the Gambler" for so long, he didn't like the "er" at the end though, so he named himself Gamble. Gnomes had that option, they were given a birth name by their parents, and several more by other family members or friends. then as a Gnome grew older, they got to choose a name for themselves; however, it didn't mean that their friends and family would call them by that name, after all they each had a name for every gnome that they chose. Family gatherings could sometimes be very confusing.

Gamble picked up his dagger and wiped the blood off on the closest dead Goblin, then stuck it back into his hidden sleeve pocket. He didn't feel like playing anymore this day. and so he packed up and left, just in case the goblins decided to come back in greater numbers. He took on last glance around the clearing, to see if he could spot the wolf, but again saw nothing, and he started back for the city. leaving the corpses for the animals to pick clean.

Shaeva stood back in her branch, in her true form again. she watched as the Gnome departed, hoping that this would not be the last she saw of the wondrous Bard, she wanted to show herself, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. Perhaps another time. She felt drawn to him though, she picked up her staff she left against the tree beside her, then holding the trunk of the tree she jump to the ground landing without a sound. Not sure what she was doing, she decided to follow the gnome, something was pulling her, towards him.

To Be Continued...


End file.
